Soon After I start actively blogging, I realised that (a) blog is a powerful tools for everybody to communicate one’s ideas the easiest way; (b) most Indonesian are blogging in Bahasa Indonesia, their native language.

The choice to use one’s own language is natural. However, for those who have a little bit mastery in English I keep encouraging them to use it as their blog lingua franca..

Not only will it benefit them one way or another, but also it would open the window for other cultures to know us–Indonesia as a a people, a nation as well as a country–a lot better.

It is on this regard that I started making a regular review on English speaking blog written by Blogger Indonesia when I was actually a beginner blogger myself back then.

The idea in question–blogging in English–seems to attract some conventional media to interview me or to write about me which makes this campaign even more known and encourage more Blogger Indonesia to do the same. On personal level, non-Indonesian readers who visit this blog frequently email me–I am sure other English-speaking blogger Indonesia got many emails as well– if they have some questions to ask relative to Indonesia. This, among others, is the purpose, the raison d’etre why we, Indonesian, should blog in English.

Some readers both from Indonesia and other parts of the world show their interest to advertise here. Some want to buy a link, others want to do a paid-to-review post. Some are wondering about buying a banner link. First of all, I’d like to tell everyone that I no longer sell link nor do I sell a post-review and a direct ad. While the former is risking penalty from Google, the latter is time consuming and risking the Google penalty as well.

So, the only way to advertise specifically here is through Buysellads.com (BSA). Please go to this link, to purchase an ads space to be placed on this site.

All books I have published are written in Bahasa Indonesia. I also have a plan to write books in English or at least translated the books I’ve written above into English.

I will keep on writing books as much as I can in the years ahead. Writing books to me is one pinnacle, among other destinations I’d like to attain, in terms of intellectual achievement. With books one writes, one may share whatever one wants to share with others forever even after one lasts his breath. To me, there’s no treasure more valuable other than books you’ve written.

I also urge people with intellectual capacity, i.e. those who have finished at least their bachelor degree, to write a book or two as a everlasting treasure for the generations to come.

Since 19 November 2009 new blogroll has been terminated due to various reasons. You may still get a backlink from this blog by commenting a lot. Whoever becomes top ten commentators, will automatically get a dofollow backlink from this blog. The existing blogroll done before November 19, 2009 will be retained and can be found here. This existing links, however, will be reviewed time and again. A blog which is inactive for more than two months will be removed from the list.

Roughly every week, I review Indonesia English-speaking blog which I think good enough to be shown to the world. Many Indonesian bloggers blog in English who are not yet known. If you have an English-speaking blog with original content, please drop the line here in the comment box below or here (recommended) informing me your URL address or email me. Your blog may get reviewed sooner than expected. To know what the advantage for you and your blog after being reviewed, see here.

Well, I am a sort of reticent person; an introvert one especially regarding private matter. That’s why I would rather not to talk about myself. I would prefer someone else talk about me, if any. I feel it’s not comfy to speak of oneself too much. Blowing oneself horn is not my cup of tea. For the sake of clear identity, however, particularly with regard to my writing here in this blog, I need to tell readers something that may be of interests:

First, I am a Muslim, a moderate one. A good Muslim is always a moderate, Islam never allows its followers towards any path of extremity (Quran 2:143). Hatred, fanaticism or diehardism towards anything or anyone, therefore, is unislamic (Quran 4:135; 4:103).

Second, I am NOT affiliated to any polical party both secular or the so-called Islamist. Yet I use my voting right and therefore I have my personal preference. The party which is close to my ideals on justice, prosperity, integrity and honesty (of its workers and the elites) may own my single insignificant vote.

Third, I work with neither companies nor any institution, government or private. I run my own institution which I hope would represent my ideals which I start implementing one at a time.

I have a dream to see Indonesian people prosper, educated and personally independent in its strictest sense of the term; to see them one day as the trend setter, not as a negative trend stupid follower. For this, I start making a sort of mass mobilisation on grass root level giving awareness to the unpriveleged on their potential and their dignity (more on this later).

I have also a dream of seeing many more academician of Master or PhD level to go back to the rural area where 80 percent of the country population reside. To enlighten them, giving them hope and knowledge they mostly need. For I strongly believe that Indonesia will never go to the level of developed country if the 80 percent is not nurtured, nourished and educated by those few academicians and intellectuals.Back on Top

On Islam ‘rendezvous’ with Others

Many far right non-Muslims think Islam is against living in diversity with others. Consequently they also think or led to believe that Muslim don’t want to live side by side with them and therefore, they argue, to be tolerant a Muslim has to break away from Islamic teaching.

Quran says the opposite. Islam does not believe in homogeneity as it’s unrealistic and is against human nature. It acknowledges the diversity (Ar Rum 30:22)[1] not only of religions but also of cultures, of races and ethnicities (Al Hujurat 49:13) [2]

Quran even further says that diversity is deliberately “stage-managed” by Him as a trial and as a way to see humans fairly competing with each other for the best achievement possible (Al Maidah 5:48)[3], something impossible in a homogeneous world. Thus, a good Muslim is by default a good member of the world. A Muslim, indeed everyone, who thinks otherwise should take a closer look at the Quran once more to have a closer and more real understanding to Islam through its primary source.

Let me say this once and for all: A good muslim must be a good citizen of the world. One who cannot live peacefully with others — within Islamic community or with non Muslim — is not a good muslim, to say the least. Quran says uncategorically in Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:8-9 regarding a muslim relationship with non-muslim thus:

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.

Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion – [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

For a closer look at some particular controversial issues repeatedly talked about by some far right wingers. reading Juan Cole good pieces here, here and here are recommended for further insight . Also, for those who grew up in a non-Muslim countries, especially the West, reading a simple Top Ten Myths about Islam by Huda, a American Muslim woman is recommended.

Lastly, to you, my honorable readers, I’m grateful for taking interest and wasting your time to read all this.

For any queries, email me at fatihsyuhud-at-gmail-dot-com (recommended) or fatih-at-alkhoirot-dot-com

Notes:[1] And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know.
[2] O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you.
[3] If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute.

Hey A. Fatih Syuhud – started reading your blog recently and have now become an ardent follower. I myself write about adventure travel and Indonesia is one of my top destinations to visit and write about. Would love to connect over different activities to do in and around SE Asia. Thanks and Keep adventuring!

I hope this message finds you well. Blogmint is India’s biggest influencer marketing platform and we plan to launch it in Indonesia soon. Blogmint’s CEO, Mr Irfan Khan will be in Jakarta from 28th June to 4th July to get a better understanding of the Influencer Marketing industry in Indonesia.

Since, you are an influential blogger, it would be great if I can catch up with you to get your perspective on blogging market in Indonesia. Please let us know if it will be possible for us to touch base something between 29th – 4th.

Please ignore if you are tied up with prior engagements during this week.

Dear A. Fatih Syuhud,
We are ONE OF THE LARGEST publishers and distributors of Islamic diaries and books in Malaysia. We have a network of about 500 book dealers in our business clients portfolio.

We are keen to publish your books and wish to rewrite them in Bahasa Malaysia for distribution in Malaysia and Brunei. Kindly advise the possibility and will appreciate if you can advise us your terms for outright purchase of your copyright material.
Thank you and wasalam
Mohamad

Bro i am from indonesia and really like your blog and really wanting to create a blog on my own and posting it in the search engine if you could tell me how u do it it would be great and if u have skype that’s better

Hi Fatih..,
It’s nice to be here, as always
I found a lot of information and valuable knowledge here. More than that, this blog is also inspiring me to have a courage to write in English though with my limitations English skills.